There may be troubles ahead: England selection issues.

[shankycricket]

Reading between the lines of Cook's words, Buttler ain't getting into a Test squad again until he plays first class cricket for Lancashire which rules him out for South Africa. The good thing is that it allows them to have an extended look at Bairstow and decide once and for all if he can crack it at Test level. Perform or perish time for him you'd think.

[m@tt]

Foster's getting on a bit, but might bat at eight. England's policy has been to pick top six bats to keep though. Under Flower this was a stated policy.

Foakes must have kept in the CC last season at some point, as he has some stumpings. He seems to be next in line, but its hard to see him in the England team. Maybe they'll just stick with Buttler. It's said that he has improved his keeping a lot since he got in the England side (he hadn't much experience with the gloves in CC) and it's a pretty tough task he's been set by England, in all formats. It's easy to be sympathetic. But with Bairstow far from convincing, maybe a more experienced option might be tempting.

I didn't mean they never played as keepers - Foakes kept a couple of times when Wilson was playing for Ireland, and Clarke did keep on at least one occasion too.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Maybe it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect them to keep (including Davies (Surrey)). How much had Buttler done before his selection? Not much. Before he was picked, I posted he might have a full season for his county before being called up to play Tests (which are pretty tough for a keeper, I expect). So England were willing to promote someone who was a work in progress.

[Alviro Patterson]

Reading between the lines of Cook's words, Buttler ain't getting into a Test squad again until he plays first class cricket for Lancashire which rules him out for South Africa. The good thing is that it allows them to have an extended look at Bairstow and decide once and for all if he can crack it at Test level. Perform or perish time for him you'd think.

Don't talk daft, if Bairstow is going to don the gloves for England he's going to last longer than a test series against South Africa. England aren't exactly flush with keepers who can bat.

[Making_Splinters]

Reading between the lines of Cook's words, Buttler ain't getting into a Test squad again until he plays first class cricket for Lancashire which rules him out for South Africa. The good thing is that it allows them to have an extended look at Bairstow and decide once and for all if he can crack it at Test level. Perform or perish time for him you'd think.

Don't talk daft, if Bairstow is going to don the gloves for England he's going to last longer than a test series against South Africa. England aren't exactly flush with keepers who can bat.

Actually, there are a few decent bets coming through the ranks especially with the likes of Duckett having a big season and Ben Brown. They're not really in line for selection as of yet, but we're not out of options.

From Cook's interview, it sounds like the door is far from shut on Buttler, he just needs to score some runs. Bairstow has already played a fair few tests, so it's not as if he is an unknown quantity and will get an extended run if things go south.

[m@tt]

Bairstow has already played a fair few tests, so it's not as if he is an unknown quantity and will get an extended run if things go south.

Bairstow has played 17 Tests as a specialist batsman (plus 2 as a WK). Playing about with StatsGuru, I reckon only four English specialist batsmen have played more Tests without a century*. Brearley is the best known example - 39 Tests. There was also Close (22), Roope (21) and Ikin (18).

* That is, career centuries. Gatting waited until his 31st Test, Gooch his 22nd. So yes I'm being harsh on Bairstow as it's not really a fair comparison.

[Slipstream]

Whether Buttler get runs in the ODIs we will have to see. Say he is the leading run scorer. I think it would be enough to get him back into the Test side for SA. At least he has a chance in ODIs or maybe he will be dropped from them as well half way into the series like the last time. If that is the case he won't be back for nearly a year and only if the present keeper isn't doing well. Lots of pressure on him.

[shankycricket]

Reading between the lines of Cook's words, Buttler ain't getting into a Test squad again until he plays first class cricket for Lancashire which rules him out for South Africa. The good thing is that it allows them to have an extended look at Bairstow and decide once and for all if he can crack it at Test level. Perform or perish time for him you'd think.

Don't talk daft, if Bairstow is going to don the gloves for England he's going to last longer than a test series against South Africa. England aren't exactly flush with keepers who can bat.

You do realise we are talking about a bloke who has already played 20 Tests at an average of 26? He is not going to get too many more chances if he keeps failing. This is his chance to seal his spot.

[m@tt]

If Stokes has dislocated his shoulder, he may be a doubt for the South Africa series. Moeen is a natural replacement at #6, but might mean Broad has to move up the order to #8 unless England also retain Rashid, which I doubt.

01 Hales 02 Cook 03 Bell 04 Root 05 Taylor 06 Moeen 07 Bairstow 08 Broad 09 Wood 10 Finn 11 Anderson

It would be a reluctant move to have Broad at 8, but both Wood and Finn are better bowlers at this level than Woakes, who is good enough for #8.

[Alviro Patterson]

Reading between the lines of Cook's words, Buttler ain't getting into a Test squad again until he plays first class cricket for Lancashire which rules him out for South Africa. The good thing is that it allows them to have an extended look at Bairstow and decide once and for all if he can crack it at Test level. Perform or perish time for him you'd think.

Don't talk daft, if Bairstow is going to don the gloves for England he's going to last longer than a test series against South Africa. England aren't exactly flush with keepers who can bat.

You do realise we are talking about a bloke who has already played 20 Tests at an average of 26? He is not going to get too many more chances if he keeps failing. This is his chance to seal his spot.

20 tests spanned over three years, Bairstow averaging 92.33 in County Cricket this year is a better indicator of batting ability.

Great opportunity for Bairstow to nail his mast in the test squad, but a poor series against South Africa is not the be all and end all. Worse case scenario is Bairstow having to fight for his place for the Sri Lanka test series in May and gets outscored in County Cricket by Jos Buttler or Steven Davies.

[Making_Splinters]

Reading between the lines of Cook's words, Buttler ain't getting into a Test squad again until he plays first class cricket for Lancashire which rules him out for South Africa. The good thing is that it allows them to have an extended look at Bairstow and decide once and for all if he can crack it at Test level. Perform or perish time for him you'd think.

Don't talk daft, if Bairstow is going to don the gloves for England he's going to last longer than a test series against South Africa. England aren't exactly flush with keepers who can bat.

You do realise we are talking about a bloke who has already played 20 Tests at an average of 26? He is not going to get too many more chances if he keeps failing. This is his chance to seal his spot.

20 tests spanned over three years, Bairstow averaging 92.33 in County Cricket this year is a better indicator of batting ability.

Great opportunity for Bairstow to nail his mast in the test squad, but a poor series against South Africa is not the be all and end all. Worse case scenario is Bairstow having to fight for his place for the Sri Lanka test series in May and gets outscored in County Cricket by Jos Buttler or Steven Davies.

Davies doesn't keep wicket anymore, so surely can't be in consideration as a Test keeper.

[m@tt]

Steve Davies doesn't keep any more though. Surrey use Wilson or, when Ireland are playing, Foakes now. Billings was the reserve keeper for the last Lions tour and will probably be the lead keeper for the upcoming T20 series (Foakes also in the squad).

Unlike Buttler has a stonking ODI series, Bairstow will keep for the South Africa series. I don't think anyone has any doubt of Bairstow's ability, but after 17 Tests without the distraction of keeping, he hasn't made the contributions of a specialist batsman, so I can understand why many doubt him as a long-term option.

[shankycricket]

Reading between the lines of Cook's words, Buttler ain't getting into a Test squad again until he plays first class cricket for Lancashire which rules him out for South Africa. The good thing is that it allows them to have an extended look at Bairstow and decide once and for all if he can crack it at Test level. Perform or perish time for him you'd think.

Don't talk daft, if Bairstow is going to don the gloves for England he's going to last longer than a test series against South Africa. England aren't exactly flush with keepers who can bat.

You do realise we are talking about a bloke who has already played 20 Tests at an average of 26? He is not going to get too many more chances if he keeps failing. This is his chance to seal his spot.

20 tests spanned over three years, Bairstow averaging 92.33 in County Cricket this year is a better indicator of batting ability.

Great opportunity for Bairstow to nail his mast in the test squad, but a poor series against South Africa is not the be all and end all. Worse case scenario is Bairstow having to fight for his place for the Sri Lanka test series in May and gets outscored in County Cricket by Jos Buttler or Steven Davies.

It really isn't. I don't want to cite the Hick and Ramps examples again and again but there you go.... The step up in standard is quite huge and so far Bairstow hasn't looked like he'll make the grade. He hasn't always got a sustained run. So this is his chance. This is currently his 6th Test in a row and I'm pretty certain he will play all 4 in SA unless Buttler does something extraordinary in the ODIs. Thats 10 Tests in a row and a total of 24. If he still doesn't convince after that, it should really be it. Unless of course the options are even worse than that, something which I doubt.

[Slipstream]

If Stokes doesn't make the SA tour Woakes will replace him.

[backfootpunch]

Steve Davies doesn't keep any more though. Surrey use Wilson or, when Ireland are playing, Foakes now. Billings was the reserve keeper for the last Lions tour and will probably be the lead keeper for the upcoming T20 series (Foakes also in the squad).

Unlike Buttler has a stonking ODI series, Bairstow will keep for the South Africa series. I don't think anyone has any doubt of Bairstow's ability, but after 17 Tests without the distraction of keeping, he hasn't made the contributions of a specialist batsman, so I can understand why many doubt him as a long-term option.

stuart broad probably had a better record with the bat after 19 tests than bairstow has managed so far